this post was submitted on 24 Dec 2025
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This actually sounds great, if the solvents are widely available and have as low footprint as the material itself (bamboo).
Sadly, they don't mention the solvents, only the catalyst for hardening (ethanol - which would be OK).
I believe the original article is this:
High-strength, multi-mode processable bamboo molecular bioplastic enabled by solvent-shaping regulation
In this case, the solvents would be:
Now, formic acid is ecologically OK. Zinc chloride, not entirely so (zinc is not a substance to waste or throw around), but if it's recovered in the process then it would be OK. Coincidentally, their process includes recovery of zinc chloride:
So, overall, this all sounds sensible to me. Whether it's economical, I cannot tell so fast.